Meld Wants to Take the Guess Work out of Stovetop Cooking Temperatures

For anyone that has attempted frying or sous vide cooking on their stovetop, we predict you're going to be pretty excited about this new project on Kickstarter. The makers of Meld are tackling the problem of maintaining a consistent temperature on your stovetop by automating the whole process. We are definitely very excited to test it out.

So how exactly does this work? The Meld system consists of two pieces: the knob that replaces one of the dials on your gas or electric stove and a thermometer that clips to the side of your favorite pot or pan — just like any other candy or oil thermometer you've used in the past. But add in the app, and the fact that all three things work together, and that's what makes Meld different.

When you cook a recipe that's been preloaded into the Meld app or one that you've added in yourself, the thermometer monitors the temperature of the dish that you're cooking, and if it falls outside the temperature range, it communicates with the dial, which will automatically (we're tempted to call it automagically!) adjusts to keep the temp steady. No more having to guess whether the simmer is too strong or worrying about just how hot that frying oil is.

According to the Kickstarter page, the Meld knob will fit on just about any gas or electric stove. You might be surprised to learn how easy it is to remove the knobs for your burner! Just keep in mind that the knob does require batteries, so it can communicate with the thermometer and app, and so it can adjust itself.

One of the other reasons we like this project is that as cooks who have rented for years in a variety of apartments, it can be difficult and time consuming to adapt your favorite recipes to a new stove. According to Meld's research, the medium high on two stoves can vary by as much as 100°F.

While this won't be something we use every time we turn on the stove (we can boil water for pasta, no problem!), we'll be excited to test out the Meld knob and clip once it's available.